Partner Spotlight: Faribault Extended Stay
Extended Stay Property Coordinator Kasey Ylinen embodies the attitude MACV looks for in our community partners every day she comes to work. Tasked with managing Extended Stays like the property in Faribault, Ms. Ylinen advocates for her residents because she sees it as her job.
Businesses like the Extended Stay have a unique role in addressing the housing needs of local communities. Low-income Veterans who otherwise face unsheltered or “street” homelessness sometimes use the Extended Stay as temporary housing which turns into a long-term stay. The Extended Stay Faribault has four or five of such residents staying there at present, with MACV staff delivering services to help the Veterans find long-term housing at a lower rate.
Kasey is no stranger to the challenges created by some of the Veterans who live at the property, but, in her words, “I am not going to put a Veteran on the street. This is our responsibility to help these people.”
Ylinen reached out to MACV before staff engaged with her, when a Veteran residing at the Extended Stay posed a problem both in paying on time and general behavior. Working with social service providers has become an increasingly large element in achieving her goal to serve the local community with a high-quality hospitality experience. Tasks stemming from this approach can include writing letters of recommendation for potential landlords or problem-solving the situations which can arise at any time.
Identifying solutions which meet the needs of Veterans while keeping other residents and the property itself safe and comfortable makes Kasey an ideal connection for our staff in Southern Minnesota. “Everybody needs a second chance,” explains Kasey. “Everybody needs a fresh start sometimes. We’re the place where you can come and do that.”